Messages

241

Stories / Re: Mik

« on: December 10, 2017, 05:27:00 PM »

The weather has turned cold now, and Mik stayed around home this day. Evening comes and he goes out with an axe to cut a tree for more firewood. And there is the trap-thief badger trying in vain to get the squirrel it has chased up a tree.

Mik goes back to the kota and grabs 3 spears and his mace, then sneaks back... the badger doesn't see him but his first throw misses and it runs off. He quickly makes a 2nd throw but that spear hits a tree. He makes a quick run to the north-east after it, but the badger has run out onto the ice and Mik doesn't want to risk following.



After cutting the tree and dragging it back near his kota, it's time to sleep.

Next morning, there is no sign of either the badger or the squirrel.

242

Stories / Re: Mik

« on: December 09, 2017, 12:26:06 AM »

That night, his sleep is interrupted by strange noises, but when he gets up the noises stop. He waits, sitting silently in the kota with weapons near to hand. After 10 minutes a snuffling noise is heard but outside it's dark as pitch so Mik stays inside until there is a bit more light. He goes out and finds new badger tracks... nothing to worry about.

Behind the kota he finds a triggered loop snare with a bunch of grouse feathers and badger tracks all around. Now he has a trap thief at home. To pass the time during the dark, Mik makes a couple of blunt arrows, one of which turns out decent... then falls back to sleep.

Waking, he checks all the traps near home, and finds another black grouse that has died in it's snare, but is unharmed and still looks fresh. There are badger tracks everywhere, but no sign of the animal.




More evidence the thief is the badger...

243

Stories / Re: Mik

« on: December 06, 2017, 03:22:33 AM »

With 2 trips, Mik carries the elk skin and about 200 cuts of meat back to Pain Summit and collapses in his kota from exhaustion. Most is hung to dry, some is roasted, and the skin is being tanned.

Rummaging in his old shelter, Mik finds an old fur cloak and uses it to try his hand at making skis. They turn out pretty poor, and so does the ski stick he makes. They are useable, though.

Usually, he finishes tanning hides outside, but today when he starts the elk hide it is just too cold so he drags a log inside the kota and finishes up the elk fur.

244

Gameplay questions / Re: Psychic enemies

« on: December 05, 2017, 03:42:49 AM »

As has been said many times, there are many ways to approach playing this game.
The open-endedness and freedom to choose how to play it are part of what makes it great.

I recall on the old forum, Sami replying to threads on this & similar topics along the lines
(and I'm not quoting so please forgive me) that the game is intended primarily to be a survival
game, not a combat simulator. Even so, it does very well as a combat simulator. While it can
and is played by some to have the character single-handedly wipe out the Njerpezit tribe
(or other tribe if unscrupulous), this was not the design intent of the game.

I think this is why Sami chooses to focus on game development that does not attempt to make
the game into yet another "hero kills everyone" game... there are plenty of those out there.

Let's be realistic, folks... nobody, let alone a 16 year old can single-handedly kill an entire armed
village using pre-gunpowder weaponry in real-life. Why should they be able to do it in this game?
Yes, there are some exploits that can allow this to happen, and if anything needs changing, it is
removal of these exploits.


Let me climb down from my soapbox and apologize to PoisonPen, because I just realized I'm
helping to further veer this topic off it's original post's course.

245

Gameplay questions / Re: Trapping,am i doing it right?

« on: December 05, 2017, 12:12:50 AM »

I have good luck just setting randomly distributed snare, fox, light lever, and various deadfall traps in my home tile. However, this is just for "supplemental" food and the traps don't produce enough to live off of by themselves. My characters are typically tailored for active hunting and have low trapping skills.

Some traps are baited, some are not, and both seem to catch animals, especially birds in the snares.

When wolves come, it's the heavy deadfall traps that catch them, and I always regret not having enough of those deadfall traps because wolves are the only animals that I've had come to my home area and kill my characters. If possible, I build near a lake shore with easy to access small islands nearby that I can escape to if wolves come in warm weather and hope they fall into the traps.

246

Stories / Re: Mik

« on: December 02, 2017, 04:11:20 PM »

Back home, Mik repairs his mittens and next morning sets out early, carrying his small but valuable furs.  He leaves his bow at home and will trust in his spear instead. It's unusual to see foreign traders near his home, but this morning he finds them and makes a good trade... a spear, fine mail cowl, and 12 superior arrows for his fine lynx, glutton, ermine, and 3 fine squirrel furs.

Then he curses under his breath as the last trader comes out of the trees carrying an iron spectacle helm and Mik has only 1 glutton fur left... not enough for that trade. The other trader is not willing to take back his goods.

He bids them farewell and continues to hunt. The spirits favor him by revealing an elk a short while later. Sneaking toward it, he's not quiet enough and it spooks and runs, so he begins the chase with spears at the ready. The tracks are easy to follow in the snow and Mki can hear it plunging through the spruces. Then he sees it and it's a long throw at 25 paces, but the spear grazes the elk's shoulder. The limping animal is now subject to a running/walking pursuit intended to tire the beast. The tracks are confusing... this is a smart elk.

After a long time following the tracks, finally Mik gets a chance for another spear throw and hits again, but the elk takes off running! Following at a run, and encumbered by his lamellar cuirasse and fur overcoat, Mik continues...



After a short time he can't run any longer. The snow is wearing him down but he must recover his valuable spear and can't give up! Forcing himself to doggedly follow the tracks he eventually sees the animal, which appears as exhausted as himself. The hunt is over soon and Mik will have the fur he needs to make skis.

247

Stories / Re: Mik

« on: November 29, 2017, 04:14:03 AM »

Continuing the hunt, it's now late afternoon and Mik spots a figure in the distance. He travels down the hill into a heath with scattered trees and finds a lightly-armed Njerpezit scout. Mik pursues with arrow at the ready and then the man turns and charges! At 25 paces, Mik hits his thigh, then he knocks a broadhead as the man continues forward. At 15 paces the arrow flies and hits his arm, sending him to the ground.

Mik readies his shield & mace and approaches, seeing the man's blood pumping into the snow. One strike with the mace and the man perishes.



This hunt has not turned out as planned, but one less enemy is good for the Owl-tribe. Mik burns the body and dedicates it to Kalma, carves the 11th notch on his mace haft, then returns home.

248

Stories / Re: Mik

« on: November 27, 2017, 07:58:06 PM »

Next couple of days see Mik snaring another grouse and observing a badger nearby, so he sets 2 more small deadfall traps. The weather has turned a bit colder and snow covers the ground ankle-deep. Mik remembers how his father taught him to make skis... he will need some good boards, so that's where he starts, using his best woodsman's axe. Now Mik sees that he doesn't have enough furs to use because he doesn't want to waste fine-quality trading furs for the skis... time to go hunting again!

It's late morning but there's still time to do a little hunting before dark. Mik stays close to his home lake but sees no animals. Stopping to check some snares to the north of the lake, here is what Mik finds.



He should bring a few fox traps here!

249

Stories / Re: Mik

« on: November 26, 2017, 11:01:36 PM »

During the journey, Mik spies a glutton off in the distance in a frozen mire so he drops his gear and sneaks forward with only bow, arrows, and knife. His arrow misses and the beast runs much faster than Mik, out across partially frozen swampland. He dare not follow and break through the ice.

Arriving at the adventurer's shelter by midday, he finds the bear meat is not finished drying. While deciding what to do, a squirrel comes near... and becomes dinner. Mik waits for the drying meat to be ready and passes the time making some wooden bowls. Visiting the nearby Owl village he trades 5 bowls for 1 arrow and some roasted meat.

The trip back home is uneventful and there is a black grouse trapped.

250

General Discussion / Re: Northern Tribes

« on: November 23, 2017, 09:16:32 PM »

The character portraits are located in the "truegfx" folder and can be replaced if you want with portraits that suit you better. Actually, just about all the graphics can be replaced, I would just suggest making backup copies of the originals and then just editing the originals to suit, then you don't have to worry about matching up filenames.

251

Stories / Re: Mik

« on: November 20, 2017, 06:17:09 PM »

After a couple of days back home...



It's time to journey east and check the drying meat from the bear that had wounded the adventurer. The weather is colder now and Mik adds a fur overcoat to his regular travelling gear; it's almost as heavy as his lamellar cuirass and will take some getting used to wearing. His other equipment is the same as he usually carries... 

252

Stories / Re: Mik

« on: November 18, 2017, 05:26:12 PM »

On the trip back home, Mik sees a large glutton, but misses it with an arrow and it is too fast to chase.

Then he has a brief encounter with 5 or 6 wild sows, which scatter and run. Mik is more interested in getting home and really doesn't need more food anyway. Almost back home, with the sun going down, he surprises a small ermine and kills it with one lucky arrow.

Next morning, snow is falling thin upon the ground on the shore of Pain Summit. Hearing some commotion to the south, he finds 3 black grouse in his loop snares and retrieves them. He also has the ermine skin tanning and then works on some sword and mace practice.

Life is good now for Mik... with a dozen dozen dried meat cuts, plenty of goods and furs.

253

Suggestions / Re: Primitive survival gear & strategies

« on: November 18, 2017, 05:22:58 PM »

Regarding "eating dirt"... it brought to mind the scene in the Holy Grail...

"Oh! There is some lovely filth down here!"   


Most of your suggestions have been posed before and I'm sure Sami & Erkka have considered
them as far as what fits into their vision of UnReal Iron-Age Finland.

254

Stories / Re: Mik

« on: November 14, 2017, 04:45:20 AM »

With no further sign of the lynx, early morning sees Mik heading west with 15 pounds of dried reindeer, exploring until night falls. Nothing of note is seen and he spends the snowy night on a lonely hilltop next to a solitary birch.

255

Stories / Re: Mik

« on: November 12, 2017, 07:48:20 PM »

It takes an entire day to walk south to the shelter and the drying meat. About 500 paces away from the shelter Mik encounters a bear! Hiding, Mik tries to get a clear shot but the bear moves into the spruce trees. He stealthily tracks it for a while but can't see it, and then hears a "Roar!" and decides maybe today isn't a good day to be surprised by an angry bear in the close confines of the spruces.

After sneaking out of the bear's area, he continues to the shelter and finds fresh lynx tracks nearby. The meat is almost ready, so Mik waits with bow at the ready for the lynx to appear. The sun goes down and Mik sleeps "with one eye open" until morning and there are no new tracks nearby.

In the morning while doing some woodwork, the lynx appears. Mik grabs his bow and misses it with a broadhead arrow. He knocks another and pursues but can't get a close enough shot.



Mik passes the time making javelins and fishing with one of them, keeping an eye out. He spears a pike and roasts it. Now he collects the bounty of dried meat and offers the best cut to the spirits.

It's late afternoon and getting dark so the shelter will be home tonight.